Dubai's capital markets are not just open for business. They are actively pulling in the world's biggest institutional players, and the numbers behind this week's DFM Investor Day make that case clearly.
EFG Hermes, in partnership with the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), brought together 37 international investment firms at Nasdaq Dubai for a full day of direct access to senior executives from some of the exchange's most significant listed companies. The companies represented at the event carry a combined market capitalisation of more than Dh120 billion.
Institutional investors now account for 70 percent of total trading value on the DFM. That is not a statistic to gloss over. It reflects a fundamental shift in the quality of capital flowing into Dubai's markets.
Trading Volumes That Tell Their Own Story
Hamed Ali, CEO of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, spoke at the event and pointed to growth figures that underscore why global institutions are paying attention. Average daily trading value on the DFM reached Dh1.03 billion in the opening months of 2026, compared to Dh663 million during the same period last year. That is a 56 percent increase in trading liquidity, year-on-year, with institutional investors driving the bulk of activity.
These are not figures produced by retail speculation. The sharp rise in institutional participation points to growing confidence among professional asset managers that Dubai equities offer both depth and credibility on the global stage.
Why EFG Hermes Chose This Moment
Mohamed Ebeid, Co-CEO of the Investment Bank at EFG Hermes, was direct about the purpose of the event. He said it was designed to show that UAE-listed companies have maintained strong fundamentals even through a period of significant geopolitical and macroeconomic turbulence. The message to global investors was simple: these businesses perform, even under pressure.
EFG Hermes carried real momentum into the event. In 2025, the firm closed 18 Equity Capital Market transactions, 16 Debt Capital Market deals, and eight Mergers and Acquisitions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Egypt. That activity record adds weight to its role as a connector between regional issuers and international capital.
For B2B readers tracking equity capital market activity in the region, the DFM Investor Day is a signal, not just an event. It reflects a deliberate effort to build liquidity, deepen institutional relationships, and position Dubai as a first-choice market for global portfolio allocation.
